Back to the Chelsea Newsfeed

Can Romelu Lukaku end the 'curse' of Chelsea's No 9 shirt? After Torres, Morata, Falcao, Sidwell, Boulahrouz (yes, really) and even more signings flopped while wearing the number, here's why fans think it is jinxed!

Romelu Lukaku has a point to prove following his sensational return to Chelsea, 10 years after he first signed for the Premier League giants.

The 28-year-old Belgian never established himself as a young player at Stamford Bridge and the club were happy to let him leave for Everton back in 2017. Now he returns ready to show the club and its fans exactly what they missed the first time round, and why he's now a £98million world-class striker.

But there's another old - and rather odd - obstacle to overcome too. Having worn the No 18 during his first spell, Lukaku is now set to take the No 9 shirt at Chelsea once Tammy Abraham's move to Roma is finalised - the young England forward touched down on Italian soil on Sunday morning to complete his £34m transfer and join Jose Mourinho's revolution.